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Showdown Chess. No draws permitted. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Devinjc wrote on Thu, Sep 1, 2005 03:48 AM UTC:Good ★★★★
In dealing with situations such as K+N vs K+B, I cannot imagine the
position in which the K+N mates, and the K+B mate would be hard to
achieve. I forsee a bigger problem being a K+R vs K+R endgame.

One solution to this problem is to exclude some multi-piece endgames as
illegal position. This would make the game more complex, as tactical
exchaning sequences would have to be evaluated for their legality. This
could make the game more interesting on one hand.

Christine Bagley-Jones wrote on Thu, Sep 1, 2005 02:57 AM UTC:Good ★★★★
actually the case of kings on a1 and c2 pawn on a2 is a success for
showdown chess because it makes a win for black instead of a draw, which
would happen in normal chess after white plays Kc1 (this is a replacement
for normal chess not shatranj).
Black must of played the brilliant (he he) ... a3-a2!! thus winning the
game. You are just looking at the 'normal' rules if you are disappointed
at 'having' to move your king away, you should not of got yourself in
that position.
Of course, i don't like these attempts to make chess with less draws, i
am in favor of giving (as far as tournaments go) either no points for
draws, same as losing, or 2 points for wins, half for draws, but best
would be to come up with a different chess altogether ha ha, but not those
variants with rook/knight and bishop/knight combo's. Terrible pieces :)
we should go back to good old 4 handed chaturanga :)
anyway, showdown chess is at least an attempt to somehow address the major
promblem of the terrible state of draws in modern chess, i don't think it
deserves a 'poor' rating so i will throw in a 'good'.

David Paulowich wrote on Wed, Aug 31, 2005 01:58 PM UTC:Poor ★
Last time I checked the Canadian rulebook, the endgame K+N against K+B was considered to allow the possibility of checkmate for either side (after some truly bad play). Thus either player can forfeit the game after exceeding the time limit. On the other hand, I believe the USCF rulebook has an actual list of 'silly' drawn endgames. Showdown Chess REQUIRES the two players to continue this endgame until there is a decisive result. Adrian King's Scirocco ALLOWS one player to continue this endgame.

Consider the position: WHITE K(c2) BLACK K(a1) and P(a2). Now White can score a stalemate victory in Shatranj and some other games by simply moving the King to c1. I am not happy with any rule which forces White to move away and lose the game. Showdown Chess is not a game I would want to play.


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